Overview
Spoltore stands on one of the last hills that run from the mountains to the sea along the Pescara and Tavo rivers and is one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Central Italy.
The town has architectural characteristics from the 15th and 16th centuries, when its expansion began. Walking through the streets of the historic centre you will find countless "rue acquarie" which characterize the oldest neighborhoods in addition to ancient buildings, Renaissance windows, crenellated towers, baroque shelves and balconies.
At the highest point of the village, from a terrace of the Medieval Castle, you will be amazed by a breathtaking view that will let your eyes slide over the Pescara valley, Chieti, the Gran Sasso and the Maiella massifs.
Hear what curious fact lies behind its name: 'Spoltore' may derive from the German 'Spelt', meaning spelt, whose cultivation was widespread in the area. Thus, a proof of past rural life, a symbol of tradition and culture.
We recommend you visit the two churches dedicated to San Panfilo, one outside the Walls and one inside the Walls. The first is flanked by the ancient Convent of the Minor Observant Friars called "zoccolanti", dating back to the 15th century, an imposing structure with a brick facade and ashlar plinth, decorated with small columns, pointed arches, low plates and twisted frames. The date 1488 is shown on the portal of the church. Originally it was a granary for the conservation of work tools and foodstuffs during looting. The friars brought baroque, frescoes and Renaissance elements.
The Church of San Panfilo within the walls is of ancient origin, later restored in 1795. The facade is enlivened with "classical" elements which are flanked by the bell tower with dovetailed battlements and an octagonal pyramid. On a side door there is the date 1581. Its interior is baroque: typical ornaments, stuccos, festoons of seventeenth-century art, to which are added a wooden statue of the Virgin on the throne, from the fourteenth century, and valuable canvases.
Typical of the place are artichokes, a very widespread crop, the basis of many typical dishes, and the “Ossi dei Morti” (bones of the dead), a dry almond sweet from the local tradition.